Renault unveils Alpine Vision sportscar concept, production version to come out in 2017

Groupe Renault revealed the Alpine Vision show car at the home of the well-known Monte Carlo Rally. As Groupe Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn puts it, the automotive and motorsports industries are "deeply rooted" in Groupe Renault's DNA.

Alpine is a step to further Groupe Renault's strategy to leverage craftsmanship and modern technology between road and track. According to Ghosn, Groupe Renault looks forward to "reaching new customers" in the luxury sports vehicle segment. Earlier this month, the company unveiled its return to Formula One with a Renault team.

The Alpine Vision perfectly blends excellent agility and outstanding styling, staying true to the Alpine A110 Berlinette that was admired by motorsports enthusiasts worldwide. The show car is powered by a core completed with a new four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which was designed and engineered by Renault Sport.

Being lightweight, it allows the vehicle to accelerate up to 62 mph or 100 kph in just 4.50 seconds. The Alpine Vision project will be overseen by a small team with the sole mission of exceeding customers' expectations and satisfaction levels.

Michael van der Sande will serve as the project's Managing Director while Antony Villain will lead the design department. Alpine Vision will mostly draw from the resources of both Renault Sport and Groupe Renault. Van der Sande expressed his enthusiasm about being part of the team to bring back Alpine in the industry once again.

He said that the team is committed to bringing back the glory of Alpines as they "faithfully re-interpret" them with better agility and enhanced performance. The group seeks to produce a recognizable yet high-tech Alpine model, which will be available for production later this year.

The team will dedicate the following 12 months on creating a state-of-the-art vehicle that is relatively similar to the show car in terms of handling, capability, details, and weight. Aside from that, the team's priorities also include the pursuit of racing.

Presently, the Signatech-Alpine Racing Team has won two European endurance championships and also won the LMP2 class in last year's World Endurance Championship.

This year, the team is set to compete in two Alpine LMP2 vehicles in the World Endurance Championship, including Le Mans. The Alpine Vision, produced in Dieppe, France, will roll out in the markets of Europe by 2017. Worldwide distribution will follow.

Press Release

GROUPE RENAULT UNVEILS PLANS FOR ALPINE

At the home of the world-famous Monte Carlo Rally and on the Col de Turini, site of some of racing’s most memorable moments, Groupe Renault today announced plans for a new Alpine sports car, and unveiled the Alpine Vision show car.

“Motorsports and sports cars are deeply rooted in the DNA of Groupe Renault,” said Carlos Ghosn, Groupe Renault Chairman and CEO. “Earlier this month we announced our return to Formula One with a Renault team, and today we are announcing Alpine. This is an exciting next step in our strategy to leverage talent and technology between road and track, and we look forward to reaching new customers in the sport premium cars segment.”

The show car Alpine Vision combines sensual design with outstanding agility, true to the great Alpine A110 Berlinette loved and admired by enthusiasts around the world. Alpine Vision is powered by a new 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, built by experts at Renault Sport, and its low weight will allow the car to achieve 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in less than 4.5 seconds - the target for the future production model.

Alpine will be managed by a small team of passionate experts within Groupe Renault, with one sole mission – to meet and exceed the expectations of the demanding sport premium customer. Michael van der Sande will lead as Alpine Managing Director, and Antony Villain will head Alpine design. Alpine will draw on the extensive resources of Groupe Renault, and Renault Sport.

“All of us at Alpine are proud to have been entrusted with the task of bringing back Alpine to sports car lovers around the world”, said Michael van der Sande, Alpine Managing Director. “Our job is to faithfully re-interpret famous Alpines of the past and project Alpine into the future with a beautifully designed, agile, high-performance sports car. Our Alpine Vision show car is immediately recognizable as an Alpine yet resolutely modern. We look forward to revealing the production model later this year.”

Over the next 12 months, the Alpine team will focus on building an outstanding car, very close to today’s show car in terms of design, weight, handling, agility and attention to detail. Priorities will also include building out the team and the network, and finally, to pursue racing. The current Signatech-Alpine Racing Team has already won two European endurance championships, and won the LMP2 class in the World Endurance Championship last year in Shanghai; and this year, the team will enter two Alpine LMP2 cars in the World Endurance Championship, including Le Mans.

Made in Dieppe, France, the new Alpine will go on sale in 2017 initially in Europe, followed by other markets worldwide.